Waterbury evening Democrat., 1887-12-05
AaAINsr AN EXTRA SESSION.
Tho Governor Throws Hot Shot at the
 Consolidated Road.

T
 Governor Lounsbury has given his de- sion of the Legislature for the purpose of altering the law concerning the elimination of grade crossings. He will not call an extra session and takes the ground that of the 1900 grade crossings in the state, those which exist on the greater number of the railroads are not the cause of the present anxiety and alarm. "These railroads" 1" he says, shave only moderate degree of prosperity, and any rapid abolishing of their grade crossings would bring to the roads, and perhaps to towns, burden too heavy to be borne So far as these rail roads are concerned, there is no disposition in any quarter to urge Q course that would result in financial distress, and there is al- most universal satisfaction with the law which makes it the duty of the railroad commissioners, on proper petition, to order gates or fagmen at any crossing where, in their opinion, the danger requires it. There is little or no demand for any new on the railroads which have been men, toned" e.ef
 The governor continuing says there is . conspicious exception, and proceeds to give his attention to the Consolidated road Al though he does not refer to 1t by name his language is unmistakable. He says: ''This corporation, powerful by reason of its ac- cumulated wealth and its vast revenue, is at the present time eliminating its grade crossings in an adjacent state wholly at it's own expense, while in this state it is evi- dently entering upon plan which involves as far as possible the speedy changing of all, if not in all of the cases, it is endeavor- ing to throw @ considerable portion of the expense on the towns. There is a deep and widespread feeling that a railroad com pany which is changing its grade crossings, in neighboring state, wholly at its own expense, either voluntarily or from force of law existing there, should change its simi- own expense, either voluntarily or from force of law existing here. It is certain that the Legislature which passed the law concerning the abolishing of grade cross ings was governed solely by motives thai had in view the public safety, but there i, a profound impression that the directors O, the railroad company, in their petition un der the law, are disposed to ignore its spiri and intent, and in their apparant plan te rapidld abolish all grade crossings on theii line, they have chiefly in view the improve ment of their property, the saving of ex Ipense in gates and fagmen by substituting
 noe. the more rapid running o then uains, 4lld AeRce the lessening of tn, danger of successful competition. It is felt to be especially hard and unjust that any town should be taxed to remove from the public highway danger which in the first place was wholly caused by the railroad and which has been intensified, not by any action of the town, but by the very pros perity of the railroad itself; by the rapid growth of the number of its trasns, and the great increase in their speed"
 Referring to the emergency for an extrs session the governor expresses doubt as te what might be considered an emergency He says there may be a defect in the pres ent law but that it has been on the statuts book for II years and any defect in it can not now, and in itself, create a specia emergency. He thinks that the law con templated no rapid abolishing of grade crossings, and says it was clearly the in tent of the law that the commissioner, cial distress to the railroads, and if tn, lawmakers meant this protection for tn, railroads, they surely did not intend les protection for the towns. He adds that il is absurd to suppose that the law intended to give to any railroad company the power through its petitions to cause to be laid or any town burden greater than that whicf could be imposed at the primary instance of the railroad commissioners, whom th' law presumes to be impartial judges, ant whose special duty it is made to guard tls public safety at the crossings, and quotes from their last report in support of the statement.
 The governor * of the opinion that the | danger of great and irreparable wrong is not SC imminent as to create A case of spe- cial emergency as to justify him in calling an extra session of the Legislature. In conclusion he expresses hope as citizen of the State that the good work of abolish. ing the grade crossings will go on as rap idly as the prosperity of the railroads and rights of the towns will permit.